Donald Cerrone: Teammate Jones should have fought Sonnen on short notice

It’s several months removed, but one of the biggest MMA stories of 2012 still lingers.

And it will linger at least through April, when two of its key parties are scheduled to meet. Add Donald Cerrone’s name to the list of fighters who have had an opinion on Jon Jones turning down a fight with Chael Sonnen, which helped lead to the cancellation of UFC 151 in September.

The interesting part about Cerrone’s stance? He and Jones are teammates at the Jackson-Winkeljohn camp in Albuquerque, N.M. – and he definitely isn’t playing favorites just because they share a gym and a coaching staff.

“Yes, I’d have fought,” Cerrone said this past Friday at a question-and-answer session for fans prior to the weigh-ins for UFC 155 in Las Vegas. “They could call me tomorrow and ask me to fight. I think you need to fight. That’s our job. I don’t think you should curl up and find a way out. So yes, that’s my answer.”

The history of the incident is well-known by now, but for a refresher: Jones (17-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) was scheduled to defend his light heavyweight title against Dan Henderson (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at UFC 151. Henderson was forced out with a knee injury, and Jones then turned down Sonnen (27-12-1 MMA, 6-5 UFC) as a replacement on short notice.

With no headliner, the UFC scrapped the show entirely and booked Jones to headline UFC 152 in Toronto against Lyoto Machida. But then Machida said no, and Vitor Belfort moved up from middleweight for a crack at Jones. After a dicey moment in the first round, Jones cruised past Belfort with a fourth-round submission.

But with Sonnen still talking plenty about Jones turning him down, he was booked to coach opposite the champion on the upcoming Season 17 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Taping recently wrapped on that season, which will debut Jan. 22 on FX. At the show’s conclusion, Jones and Sonnen will meet – with what would appear to be enough notice for Jones this time around.

Cerrone said the subject of Jones passing on the Sonnen fight the first time has been broached between the two.

“He’s my teammate, and we have this discussion all the time,” Cerrone said. “I said, ‘You should’ve done it.’ And he goes, ‘Well, you don’t make a million (dollars) to fight.’ And I said, ‘Well, you’re right, but I f—ing fight every time with all my heart.'”

Cerrone (19-4 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has one of the biggest fights of his career coming up against fellow former WEC standout Anthony Pettis (15-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC). The two meet on the main card of UFC on FOX 6 later this month in Chicago, and the winner is expected to put himself in line for a possible shot at lightweight champion Benson Henderson.

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